Jaylen Warren Just Can’t Catch a Break: Examining Rico Dowdle’s Impact on the Pittsburgh Backfield
Image Credit: Frank Jansky. Icon Sportswire. Pictured: Jaylen Warren.

Kevin Szafraniec outlines the fantasy implications that Pittsburgh’s signing of Rico Dowdle in free agency will have on the Steelers’ backfield.

Jaylen Warren truthers have been waiting for a chance to see him operate as Pittsburgh’s lead back ever since his second-year breakout in 2023. Unfortunately, the presence of 2022 first-rounder Najee Harris always overshadowed the former UDFA, even if the duo’s production suggested that their roles should have been flipped.

When Harris left in free agency in 2025, the stage was set for Warren to finally claim the lead role in Pittsburgh. That is, until the team selected Kaleb Johnson on Day 2 of the draft and signed Kenneth Gainwell in free agency. Johnson disappointed; Gainwell did not.

With Pittsburgh’s coaching staff moving on following the 2025 season — and Gainwell leaving with them — there was a sliver of hope that Warren would finally get a shot to be a true lead back in his age-27 season. Regrettably, Pittsburgh’s signing of Rico Dowdle, another 27-year-old former UDFA, dashed those hopes.

But with neither Dowdle ($6.1M per year) nor Warren ($6.0M per year) separating themselves from a financial perspective, the top spot on the depth chart should be up for grabs. With this in mind, how should fantasy managers be playing the Steelers’ backfield in their 2026 drafts?

Be sure to check out the rest of our series on the top landing spots from free agency!

Volume 2 of the 2026 RotoViz Rookie Draft Guide is out now! Jam-packed with comprehensive player profiles, advanced stats, player comps, strategies, and rankings from the RotoViz staff, it is a must-have for every fantasy manager who wants to crush their best ball, dynasty, and redraft leagues in 2026!

Keep an eye out for Volume 3, which will drop after the 2026 NFL Draft!

An Improbable NFL Journey

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Please subscribe For Full Access to all RotoViz content and tools!

 

What’s included in your subscription??

  • Exclusive Access to RotoViz Study Hall
    • A treasure trove of our most insightful articles that will teach you the metrics that matter, time-tested winning strategies, the approaches that will give you an edge, and teach you how to be an effective fantasy manager.
  • Revolutionary Tools
    • Including the NFL Stat Explorer, Weekly GLSP Projections, NCAA Prospect Box Score Scout, Combine Explorer, Range of Outcomes App, DFS Lineup Optimizer, Best Ball Suite,and many, many, more.
  • Groundbreaking Articles
    • RotoViz is home of the original Zero-RB article and continues to push fantasy gamers forward as the go-to destination for evidence-based analysis and strategic advantages.
  • Weekly Projections
    • Built using RotoViz’s unique GLSP approach.
  • Expert Rankings
  • And a whole lot more…
LOG IN
SUBSCRIBE

Kevin Szafraniec

Lead Writer and Full-time Cat Dad. Sneakerhead, Record Collector, Beatmaker, Lord of the Rings Superfan, and Jeopardy Enthusiast in my free time. Follow me on X and Bluesky @thecatdadff

The Kyler Murray Signing Lets Kevin O’Connell Again Prove His QB Whisperer Credentials

Kevin Szafraniec March 16, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec outlines what the Vikings’ signing of Kyler Murray means for the fantasy value of the mercurial quarterback and Minnesota’s receiving weapons. Following the unmitigated disaster that was the J.J. McCarthy experience, it was a given that the Vikings would be upgrading their quarterback room this offseason. After head coach Kevin O’Connell had successfully navigated numerous storms at the QB position during his time…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Can Travis Etienne Help Elevate Kellen Moore’s Offense to the Next Level?

Kevin Szafraniec March 14, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec debates how much fantasy value Travis Etienne holds as part of Kellen Moore’s offense after signing with New Orleans in free agency. Following a career renaissance in 2025, Travis Etienne cashed in big in free agency, signing a four-year, $52.0M deal (per Spotrac) to join the Saints. Etienne owes much of his bounce-back to Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, who continues to prove…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Does the Arrival of Malik Willis in Miami Spell Disaster for De’Von Achane’s Massive Receiving Workload?

Kevin Szafraniec March 14, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec outlines the positive and negative impact that Malik Willis can bring to Miami after the Dolphins signed the free-agent quarterback to be their 2026 starter. Rarely do we see developmental quarterbacks pan out at the NFL level. Therefore, it is understandable when fans and analysts remain skeptical of signal callers who string together impressive performances across a small sample. But in today’s QB-starved…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

The Kyler Murray Signing Lets Kevin O’Connell Again Prove His QB Whisperer Credentials

Kevin Szafraniec March 16, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec outlines what the Vikings’ signing of Kyler Murray means for the fantasy value of the mercurial quarterback and Minnesota’s receiving weapons. Following the unmitigated disaster that was the J.J. McCarthy experience, it was a given that the Vikings would be upgrading their quarterback room this offseason. After head coach Kevin O’Connell had successfully navigated numerous storms at the QB position during his time…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Can Travis Etienne Help Elevate Kellen Moore’s Offense to the Next Level?

Kevin Szafraniec March 14, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec debates how much fantasy value Travis Etienne holds as part of Kellen Moore’s offense after signing with New Orleans in free agency. Following a career renaissance in 2025, Travis Etienne cashed in big in free agency, signing a four-year, $52.0M deal (per Spotrac) to join the Saints. Etienne owes much of his bounce-back to Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, who continues to prove…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Does the Arrival of Malik Willis in Miami Spell Disaster for De’Von Achane’s Massive Receiving Workload?

Kevin Szafraniec March 14, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec outlines the positive and negative impact that Malik Willis can bring to Miami after the Dolphins signed the free-agent quarterback to be their 2026 starter. Rarely do we see developmental quarterbacks pan out at the NFL level. Therefore, it is understandable when fans and analysts remain skeptical of signal callers who string together impressive performances across a small sample. But in today’s QB-starved…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Analysis

Related Articles

In-Season Articles

In-Season Articles

Home

Related Articles

The Blitz

Home
About
Connect
Support

rotovizmain@gmail.com

Sign-up today for our free Premium Email subscription!

Data provided by

© 2021 RotoViz. All rights Reserved.

Terms of Service

Welcome Back to RotoViz...

– IF YOU HAVE ISSUES LOGGING IN PLEASE CONTACT ROTOVIZMAIN@GMAIL.COM

– PLEASE NOTE THAT ROTOVIZ USES WORDPRESS FOR ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT. IF RESETTING YOUR PASSWORD YOU MAY BE FOWARDED TO A WORDPRESS PAGE.